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The waters around Neptune Island can get treacherous very quickly.
A plucky Belgian holidaymaker who helped save two people from a capsized boat off the coast of South Australia, was awarded the Australian Bravery Decoration of ‘Commendation for Brave Conduct’ by the Australian Ambassador in Belgium.
Mr Pascal Cabooter was on his first holiday to Australia with his wife, Veronique Peeter. They decided to take part in a great white shark diving expedition near the North Neptune Islands off Port Lincoln in South Australia.
What happened next will probably stay with Mr Cabooter and his wife for a long time to come.
The small party of tourists had landed on one of the islands to watch the great whites surfacing near to the coast. However the ocean swell suddenly began to rise and the waters became rough and choppy.
An aluminium tender boat was sent out to pick the tourists up and transfer them back onto the expedition vessel. The skipper of the tender picked up Mr Cabooter’s wife and two other female passengers first and set off back to the main boat. However the ocean was quickly becoming treacherous and it became obvious to those back on the shore watching, that the skipper was struggling to control his craft.
As they watched in horror one huge swell tipped the boat over, throwing everyone into the rough seas. Mr Cabooter didn’t hesitate to act. He dived into the freezing ocean to reach his wife and drag her some 30 metres back to the shore. Upon spotting another of the female passengers in distress, he entered the icy waters once more and was able to swim with her back to the shore, despite seriously injuring his leg in the process.
The third female passenger was rescued by a luxury yacht that happened to be passing nearby.
Mr Cabooter plays down his hero status, telling the Dutch newspaper ‘De Standaard’: “Someone had to do something or they would have drowned.” He also revealed how he still keeps in touch with the second woman he saved, an American, by email.
The Commendation was awarded to Mr Cabooter by Dr Alan Thomas, the Australian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium. Mr Cabooter was said to be delighted and honoured to received the award and confirmed that he is still actively diving but unfortunately he isn’t planning any future trips to Australia.
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